Test of Time

T’S A BIT TIGHT, BUT IT STILL KEEPS TIME,” SAYS LAILA HARILELA OF HER INHERITANCE, A 60-YEAR-OLD SILVER OMEGA TIMEPIECE. THE SQUARE WATCH BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FROM HER FIRST MONTHS OF MARRIAGE WHEN HER MOTHER WOULD ATTEND PARTIES AT THE FAMILY HOME WEARING THE STRIKING PIECE. “ONE DAY, MY GRANDMOTHERIN-LAW, WHOM WE CALLED AMI, SAID TO MY MOTHER, ‘MOHINI, I LIKE THIS. IT’S SO UNUSUAL.’ SO MY MOTHER SAID TO AMI, ‘WHEN LAILA HAS A BABY, I’LL TAKE IT OFF MY WRIST AND PUT IT ON YOURS.’”

THIS FOLLOWS THE INDIAN TRADITION OF GIVING A GIFT TO THE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE FAMILY ON HAPPY OR MONUMENTAL OCCASIONS. HARILELA SOON BECAME PREGNANT, BUT HER GRANDMOTHER-IN-LAW FELL SERIOUSLY ILL A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE BABY WAS DUE, SO HER MOTHER GAVE HER THE WATCH SOONER THAN PLANNED. “IN NOVEMBER 1975, AMI PASSED AWAY AND WHEN WE SIFTED THROUGH HER THINGS, THIS WATCH WAS HANDED TO ME,” SHE SAYS.

CONVINCED THAT DESTINY BOUGHT IT TO HER, HARILELA PROUDLY WEARS THE OMEGA, WHICH HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME. THE INITIAL TIMEPIECE WAS FITTED WITH A CROCODILE STRAP AND A SIMPLE SQUARE FRAME. HARILELA’S MOTHER REWORKED THE WATCH AND ADDED ELEMENTS MORE SUITED TO HER STYLE AND TASTE. “MY MOTHER WAS A VERY TRENDY WOMAN,” SHE SAYS WITH A LAUGH. “SO WE KNEW THAT ANYTHING SHE WORE WAS A FASHIONABLE PIECE. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS WATCH, I IMAGINE HER IN HER RINGS, SARIS, LONG EARRINGS—AND THIS WATCH.”

HARILELA, WHO LAST WORE THE WATCH FIVE YEARS AGO, TRUSTS THAT ONE OF HER THREE DAUGHTERS WILL ENJOY IT IN THE FUTURE. “ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WILL INHERIT IT AND THEY WILL GIVE IT TO THEIR CHILDREN. I ONLY HAVE ONE DAUGHTER MARRIED AT THIS POINT AND SHE LIVES IN PORTUGAL. THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE FOR HER,” SHE SAYS.